SRCM and Sahaj Marg in France

Translation of an article by Alexis: "SRCM et Sahaj Marg en France", on Élodie's blog in Europe: Pour Que Vive Le Sahaj Marg.

March 24, 2014

SRCM and Sahaj Marg in France  

From: SRCM in France, an article (French) by Alexis (on his blog)
 

In Brief:

- 1200 abhyasis (disciples) in 2013 (estimate)  
- 9% of membership outside India (27% of Western Europe) 
- 0% annual growth (stable since 2000)  
- Penetration:  almost 20 Abhyasis per million inhabitants (15 worldwide)  

- Preceptors:110 in 1995, 97 in 2007 
- 2013 Estimate: 110-120  

- Ashrams: Augerans Castle, headquarters of the Mission in Europe, (1988 to 2003)   
- Other major ashrams: Paris, Montpellier & Nice  
- 43 centers and 6 areas in 2006-09: 8 major centers (including 3 with an ashram) and 35 smaller centers, including 8 without preceptors ...  
- 1 association under Law 1901 SRCM created August 9, 1986 in Dole (Jura), repatriated from Paris 
- Turnover > € 300,000, variable depending on the year  
- Assets > 2 million euros  

- Amount of the basic fee: 150 € since 2009, previously € 75  
- € 836,000 of French donations to SRCM and SMSF India, over 7 year period (2006-12), according to the FCRA (Indian Ministry of Home Affairs)
 

Established in 1972, Nice is the first western center of the SRCM with the famous André Poray as full preceptor.  And for a long time, after India, France was the next most important country, because of its abhyasis community. Numbers have flirted with the 2 000 at the end of the 90s, only to collapse to around a thousand. Not because of the French policy around sects (cults)  but due to significant internal dissension.

Chari does not have only friends in France.  An important part of  Babuji abhyasis (disciples) refused to follow Chari at his death, with André Poray at the lead.  More rebellious and autonomous communities still exist today, particularly around Vendôme and Lyon.

In 1986 the association, SRCM France, was created. In 1988, the Augerans castle (39) was purchased to become the European headquarters of the Shri Ram Chandra Mission and the first Western ashram. It was sold in 2003, under pressure from Chari.

The geographical distribution of abhyasis is very uneven. They are focused  mainly in the Paris region and in the south around Montpellier and Marseille, Nice and Toulon. Already in 1995, the Ile de France and the southern "zone" of ​​abhyasis made up three quarters of the abhyasis, two thirds of the preceptors and half of the centers.
 
The Management committee merges with the Board of Directors of this Association under the Act 1901. It is composed of the President, Chari, Vice-President (Country-in-charge), a secretary, a treasurer, an internal auditor and a person in charge of external relations as well as some members, many of whom are foreigners.  There are also various sectors (committees): finance, internal information, seminars, legal, publications and editions, and centers.

In terms of the spiritual organization since 2012, France and its Vice-President (CIC) are under the responsibility of a Regional coordinator for "West Europe" (RC), itself under Region-in-charge for "Europe" (RIC). Then France is itself divided into two zones, north and south with their Zone-in-charge (ZIC).  These "administrative" divisions change regularly according to Chari's mood and according to the favors/punishments Chari wants to give to one or to the other (thus, there were six such areas in France in 2006-09). Then, a few years ago, was grafted on to this hierarchy the "developers", responsible for the development of small centers in the area to which they are attached.

In 2009, Chari unilaterally decided to double the disciple's contribution from €75 to 150.  Previously, 3/4  of the abhyasis were contributors: half of the contributors paid €75, and 48% were paying more and  2% were paying less.  Of the basic €75,  € 60 went to the national level, only €15 remained at the local center ...

Alexis 


See Also (in French):

- [Le château d’Augerans]

- [Statut et règlement intérieur de l’association française en 1986]

- [Comptabilités 2004-08 de la SRCM France], not up to date

 Other Articles by Alexis : 

- [Proche et moyen orient : du Maroc au Pakistan]

- [Péninsule malaise : Singapour & Malaisie] 

- [Amérique du nord : USA & Canada]

And Also:

- [Diaspora, les Indiens d’outremer]
– [Chari chez les Soviets]  
– [Le Sahaj marg en son berceau indien] 
– [Géographie du Sahaj marg]
– [IMPORTANCE numérique et géographique]

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Standardizing Sahaj Marg and Radicalizing SRCM

Translation of an article by Élodie: "Standardisation du Sahaj Marg et Radicalisation de la SRCM", on her blog in Europe: Pour Que Vive Le Sahaj Marg.


March 12, 2014 

Standardizing Sahaj Marg and Radicalizing SRCM

To reach the Westerners tempted by meditation, the Mission trivializes the content of its own teachings in order to attract the greatest number without discouraging anyone. This is what Alexis described in detail in his previous message on Meetup (social network) and the new internet portal of SRCM. 

If this approach is new in that it uses new vectors of transmission (internet and social networks), it's been a while since we started condemning the impoverishment of Sahaj Marg in its most essential content.

Dr. K.C. Varadachari was already expressing his concerns to Babuji in 1970 about the liberties taken by preceptors vis-à-vis the teaching. Upon his arrival, Chari has staked everything on the quantity - proselytizing - to the detriment of quality. Imagine what it would give with more than 3,000 preceptors today, when there were fewer than a hundred then.

Result: the spiritual evolution promised by Sahaj Marg, this unique method for the world, is no longer the rendezvous for most Abhyasis.  Only a select few receive the attention of the Master and the "benefits" of his spiritual teaching.

For all others, the common person, the so-called spiritual effects are reduced to a trickle: the benefits of regular meditation (well-being and stress management) and the feeling of belonging to a group (the whole is more than the sum of its parts), which they take as the exceptional side of Sahaj Marg, a so-called "unique and unforgettable spiritual experience".

Globalization has stretched the traditional link between religions and their home of origin, stated Olivier Roy. The religious market is globalized and the religious products no longer have borders. He also announced at the time the standardization of religions, de-cultured and de-territorialized.

This CNRS researcher stated: "But for a product [religious] to be accessible everywhere and by the greatest number, it must be standardized. If it is too identified with a particular culture, it will not sell outside this culture. Hence the phenomenon of de-culturization." (See Article Alexis September 2009, quoting an interview with Olivier Roy in Le Monde 21/12/2008).

Replacing religion with spirituality, the situation is identical; then replace them with Sahaj Marg and see once again that nothing changes. The evolution of Sahaj Marg and SRCM is a perfect example of what Olivier Roy described.

In his mad rush towards the West and its New Age public, Chari emptied Sahaj Marg of all its original contents. The Indian philosophical and spiritual system designed by Babuji, but transposed by Chari on every continent, suffered in its globalization. It has been standardized to suit everyone. In short, de-territorialized and de-cultured.

The teaching provided by the Mission, and by Chari and his preceptors, today resembles nothing more than a common method of personal development, a common tool for managing stress in the case of well-being through one meditation technique among others. But this is what people are looking for today, be they Western New Agers or Indians from the rising classes, uprooted and de-cultured.

The meditation technique practiced today at SRCM offers nothing better than the others. And as Alexis said, "the global plethora of meditation techniques is bloated while the global market share of meditation techniques is not infinitely expandable."

How to seduce and attract new followers in these conditions?  Especially since, unlike many other meditation groups, the Mission imposes its own significant constraints: a Guru Master, discipline, obedience to the Master and service to the Mission, for example. It is not free access to Sahaj Marg which can solely offset the difference and counterbalance these additional constraints.

Chari and his experts in communication and marketing have found a simple solution: sell their technique, coated in an upscale New Age philosophy. In the absence of significant and immediate results, it is necessary to produce the myth, enrich the imagination of the followers, offer an ideal for the future. In short, offer a vision of the world, that is to say, create a religion with its own Apocalypse and its future, Paradise and/or Hell.

Inspired by the New Age themes, they were able to develop this wonderous religious myth. A psychic chats daily with Babuji, the Special Personality in a Brighter World (the famous Central Region which allegedly, only two or three of the disciples will reach). This special personality promises first the Apocalypse and all its avatars. But she also promises an egregore, a future elite to regenerate mankind, an elite already in training at their Omega school.  How to blow hot and cold at the same time!

The Mission has thus arrive at a falsely paradox situation: to the spiritual needs of its members it brings no more than a simple meditation technique, but it develops a rich collective myth around which everyone raves about. This is not the method of Sahaj Marg which is extraordinary and unique, it is the myth conveyed today by the SRCM which seduces and unites the disciples. The small restrained group to which they belong becomes the new holy grail of Sahaj Marg.

Impoverishment of the method, and enrichment of myth. The shell is empty, but the more it is empty, the more they dress it in pretty attire, supposed to seduce the followers. Still, one needs to know how to seduce them without scaring them off. The myth is rich but dangerously sectarian, hence the importance of gradually spreading it in small doses, not to scare away the newcomers. This is where the group can acquire its weight: it must be sufficiently attractive and reserved for an elite, for the sense of belonging to be stronger than all the centrifugal effects that could be caused by the SRCM and Chari.

Those who succumb to the poisonous charm can not be seduced by the virtual absence of spiritual evolution related to meditation. They succumb to the false belief of belonging to a small group of elite ahead of its time (the ecstatic, unforgettable and incomparable experience of the group). So they do everything that the Guru calls from them: discipline, obedience and service.

Élodie

Sahaj Marg? You Love it or Leave it!

Translation of an article from Alexis: "Le Sahaj Marg: Tu L'Aimes ou Tu Le Quittes", on Élodie's blog in Europe: Pour Que Vive Le Sahaj Marg.


March 6, 2014 

Sahaj Marg: You Love It Or You Leave It

From a new news article by Alexis on his blog:
The Mission: those who enter and those who leave

Two out of three people leave the Mission

On September 21, 2013, Kamlesh Patel addressed a letter to the CIC and ZIC (Centers in Charge,  and Zones in Charge of SRCM), where he stressed the need to surround the newcomers so they are not tempted to abandon Sahaj Marg after a few weeks.

“(…) Thanks to the good work being done by all, the Mission has been growing slowly, yet steadily. The growth of our Mission needs to be well balanced on 2 counts - Quality & Quantity. We need to ensure that we are able to offer the necessary support to ensure that those who commence their practice, get to stay on, instead of dropping away after a few weeks or months.(…)”

 The high dropout rate was known, here is a new confirmation. Remember the words of his predecessor Ajay Kumar Bhatter: it takes 3 new introductions to make a new abhyasi! In other words, two people introduced to Sahaj Marg leave the mission some time later ...

Prasanna Krishna, regional in charge of Oceania, did not say anything else during his visit in spring 2013:

“When asked about why abhyasis leave the mission and how we can prevent this, Br Prasanna mentioned that in most cases it is noticed that abhyasis leave after two to three years of practice. They complain that they don’t feel anything happening and basically reach a state of stagnation. (…)“

The situation is the same, only the time scale differs from several weeks to several years.

Following the passage of Prasanna and in response to his words, a local abhyasi added:

“I realised that Sahaj Marg is really like a large family. When we are all together, something changes at a subtle level, we begin to feel that there is no real difference between people inspite of apparent differences which tend to be more superficial in nature than core. Just being together fills us with an inexplicable inner joy. We are all a team of people with our imperfections, working on ourselves, trying to achieve the same goal in one glorious journey together.”

For the magic of Sahaj Marg to work, it is essential that the abhyasis gather around a common goal they share, "like a large family",  and it is only then that something "changes at a subtle level"...
 
So the explanation about the magic of Sahaj Marg: the need for the group life, family life.  They call it an egregore, (group think)  sociologists speak more currently and especially more prosaically of group effects, or of crowd psychology or collective consciousness.

“(…) Lastly Br Prasanna touched on the topic of pain and suffering. He mentioned that suffering in our lives is important for spiritual growth. Many times apparently what seems to be suffering or loss helps in spiritual evolution.“
  
As if that were not enough, with Sahaj Marg one must learn to suffer before experiencing a spiritual evolution. We understand better why so many people drop out so quickly, it is far, very far from heaven on earth.  At Sahaj Marg, suffering is at the heart of the teaching ...


MeetUp and Natural Path Meditation

Traditionally, the growth of the mission was left to preceptors who would proselytize in all and every directions. But the global market shares of meditation techniques are not infinitely expandable, and there is a plethora of meditation techniques offered globally.

Growth at SRCM has stalled, dropouts are numerous. So, how to bounce back and adapt to the twenty-first century market?  

One must adapt: an increased presence on the web and in social networks, focus on stress management and wellness, they obscure anything that can scare an average Westerner: the "guru" suggests cults, Whispers (from the Brighter World)  and egregore are too esoteric. So they forget it, they erase it, they white-out!  Take out all the  rough spots  ...

First step, for 2 years already exposed by Michael: the presence of groups of abhyasis on MeetUp.com, the social network where "neighbors who come together to learn something, do something, share something ..." . Proximity and areas of interest are the two main entrances to the network. 

By 2010, North American abhyasis were among the first to move in this direction, but the experience grows everywhere, as shown in the example below.  A quick search on google returns immediately to no less than 2 dozen local groups of affiliated abhyasis of Sahaj Marg.Thus, we can read in Oceania Echoes of April 2013:

“Over the past quarter, we discussed initiatives in Melbourne to find ways to bring Sahaj Marg to the community. We all know the system is simple, we've all heard about ‘Meditation through Human Integration’. So, it was time to really put it to action. We received approval to trial a site on www.meetup.com.  

These days when people want something the first thing they do is to search the internet. So, we found many people were searching for meditation, something that will help them unburden their thoughts, better deal with their stress etc. The site allows us to organize ‘Meet-ups’ with the interested persons seeking to know about meditation and plan to hold an open house called a meet up. We prepared a very simple presentation and for our first meetup, four people attended, all of whom took introductory sittings. 

About a month later we had to schedule a second meetup because of the demand of the members at our site. This time ten people attended and eight decided to take introductory sittings.
 

In the last five months we have had at least twenty introductions. We found the best way to present was to be simple, keep it simple and keep HIM in our hearts. Let HIS fragrance spread. This is our Master's Mission and it is in our hands to take it further.

During Cultural Diversity Week we set up a stall, talked to people and gave out pamphlets. (…) There was a quite a lot of interest with many people taking brochures.“

Second step:  Natural Path Meditation has everywhere replaced Sahaj Marg no doubt considered "not catchy" and not enough backbone, they want more cleavage (clinging?).

Replacing Sahaj Marg with Natural Path Meditation on MeetUp is one thing, but we must go further, up to the sahajmarg.org website. Do not worry, the site has undergone a complete facelift in 2013 - a makeover. While nothing has been deleted from the previous content, it is now hidden, concealed.  One must now click a tiny link at the top of the second page to really access the site.  A link named [abhyasi]  a term which is obscure for any newly arrived.

A new access portal has taken the place of the old content. A stripped-down page:  "Sahaj Marg, the Natural path, Learn to meditate" is the full text of this new focus on a large and pretty esoteric symbol devoid of any meaning. Arrow [Explore] calls for more ... Change, Balance, Heart, Yoga and Infinity are the only keywords on this almost as stripped down second page. 

Operation "seduction of the public vaguely tempted by meditation or yoga". Not a word about the spiritual master or the guru ... (the new CEO and  Staten Island Pharmacist, importer of pharmaceutical products, or the "salesmen" the businessmen of the "inner circle" of the Shri Ram Chandra Mission (SRCM California-1997)

Each keyword refers to another page accompanied by a nice big picture chosen for its evocative and catchy text below: a question, an answer and a few words in relief, that's all. 

To these 5 pages, associated with these 5 key words are added only under Learn to meditate, [The Practice] and [How to start].  An ultra-light presentation to attract the widest possible audience.

Not a word about the essential suffering necessary to spiritual growth!  Remember, we told you that Sahaj Marg was transforming itself into a globalized and aseptic spiritual product  ... 

 Here is a small portion of  the all-new, cleaned out, "natural" and all "laundered"  Sahaj Marg "Sales Schpeel"  ...

Buyer Beware!!  Who are you buying your "god" and "salvation" from??   Nothing is FREE, specially when dealing with "salesmen"!! 

Growth - change - evolution

Have you ever wanted to change something about yourself, and found it difficult?

Our life on Earth is one of change and evolution, yet we often resist moving into the unknown and out of our comfort zone.

It is not easy to remove habits, fears, and beliefs. They are like walking tracks or riverbeds - over time they become fixed. The challenge is to remove them in a way that is deep and permanent.

If you are interested in letting go of unwanted patterns and rising above yourself, there is a daily practice called 'cleaning' in Sahaj Marg that helps.

Simplicity - balance - integration

Is your mind filled with thoughts? Do you find it hard to concentrate?

We are bombarded from all sides most of the time, and it is not so easy to still the mind. This affects the very fabric of our lives, our quality of sleep, and our mental and physical wellbeing.

We need to find time for ourselves, and to be in touch with the simplicity and beauty of the inner Self. Then balance, harmony and integration are possible. This is best done through a spiritual practice of heart-based meditation.

As we continue to meditate, we find that we become progressively more balanced and simple.

Joy - heart - feel

How often do we look for happiness in life through pleasure?

We have been taught to look for happiness externally: be it through family life, friendships, work and worldly pursuits. Sometimes we find it, but as soon as the external reasons for happiness are gone, the happiness goes too.

What brings long-lasting happiness and purpose to human life? This question takes us on an inward journey of discovery, into the heart of the human being.

It is a great relief to realise that happiness is not dependent on the outer circumstances of life, but can be found within us. This inner joy is stable, silent, subtle and nourishing, and gives life a deeper purpose. In fact, through the heart we discover a dimension of our existence with limitless potential.

How do we discover this inner joy and purpose? We find it through meditation.

Raja yoga - mind

Raja yoga focuses on the mind, through meditation.

In raja yoga, the mind gradually becomes purified, so that it is a perfect instrument for the heart's evolution.

Sahaj Marg is a refined practice of raja yoga, simplified for modern life. It is designed to be a natural part of your everyday routine, balancing the material and spiritual aspects of existence.

Have you ever tried meditating on your own?

It is not easy to still the mind. In Sahaj Marg meditation, we are able to progressively train the mind to ignore thoughts and turn our attention deeper within ourselves. This is made possible by an ancient yogic technique called pranahuti or transmission, which was rediscovered by one of the guides of the Sahaj Marg system. Transmission is at the heart of Sahaj Marg and gives life to meditation.

Towards infinity - oneness

When have you felt drawn to something greater than yourself?

It is hard to express this pull in words, but the feeling is unmistakable. Human beings have always had a deep yearning to understand who we are beyond the physical existence - to explore our original nature, our essence. This yearning has been at the base of religious and scientific enquiry throughout human history, and is also the purpose of yoga.

The spiritual journey is infinite and full of wonder.

Through the heart, we explore an inner universe that has no beginning and no end. We have been on that journey, without conscious awareness, since the beginning of time. We continue it consciously through a guided individual practice of meditation that becomes part of our daily life.

Alexis


See Also (in French) by Alexis: 

Importance - Investments - Growth

Proselytism- Recruitment- Preceptors